Edinburgh in May

About a month ago, Chris called me from work to ask if I wanted to go to Edinburgh, Scotland in May for a couple of nights. Always one to take advantage of my flexible schedule, I said yes, and Chris booked our tickets on the spot. He was asked to give a talk there, and I was happy to travel with him.

I had never been to Scotland before, and I was immediately taken by Edinburgh. The history and beautiful architecture made me fall in love with the city.

Victoria Street

While I was there, I learned that hundreds of years ago, the city limits were strict, and people could not build outside of them. The only place to build was up. This history makes Edinburgh quite a 3-dimensional city.

View from a bridge over buildings: A result of the city building “up”

I learned that wealthy people used to live a few levels above the street (to avoid the stench) but not too high as to get exhausted from climbing stairs. Poorer people would live either closer to the ground or above the wealthy dwellings (sometimes in very high levels for the time period).

I spent an entire day wandering solo down streets and alleys (called “closes” in Edinburgh). By the end of the day, I found a bench by the castle where I could look out over the city and view the sea. I wondered why I had never traveled in May before- it’s a beautiful time of year. Then, I remembered that my previous life had a full-time job in it, and I did not have the same flexibility that I have now.

On the bench, I decided that as long as I continue to have the same life, I should plan to always travel in May (and June, July, August, September, October, etc…).

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6 responses to “Edinburgh in May”

We have travelled every May for a few years in a row now. I always feel torn about it because while it’s a wonderful time to be somewhere else, it’s also a wonderful time to be in HD. 🙂 Short trips like yours sound like a good solution to the problem!

I’ve lived in Edinburgh my whole life and I agree with you, it’s so beautiful! You came here during the right time of year! I also had no idea about the city building limits, but does help explain a lot of the architecture! Hope you enjoyed your stay! 🙂 x